Peyton Manning stole last night’s Saturday Night Live, somehow
Honestly, we're just as surprised as the rest of you
TV News Peyton Manning
Athletes and Saturday Night Live don’t mix, as a rule. As a very true, almost inviolable, proven-time-and-time-again rule. Still, when scraping the bottom of SNL’s 47-season deep barrel for even marginally acceptable jock hosting gigs and appearances, Peyton Manning’s 2007, Season 31 hosting stint is generally held up as the class of a truly underwhelming (some might say cringeworthy) draft. Especially that short where he just wails on a whole lot of little kids.
So maybe it’s not that surprising that Manning’s appearance on last night’s Willem Dafoe-hosted Saturday Night Live was above-average for a former pro athlete drop-in. But you have to give credit where it’s due—Manning’s Weekend Update segment was genuinely hilarious, as the two-time Super Bowl champion waved off anchor Colin Jost’s prompts for some playoff football talk in favor of an extended and enthusiastic tribute to his newest bingeing obsession, Emily In Paris.
Now, the “jock likes lady stuff” switcheroo might be hacky, but dammit if the former Colt and Bronco didn’t rattle off his gushing lines with crack comic commitment and timing. Even busting out the telestrator for an Xs and Os breakdown of just how Emily’s work and career ambitions keep interfering with her forward progress, Manning went above and beyond the one-joke idea to actually contribute an unimpeachably funny addition to what was, overall, a pretty middling episode of sketch comedy.
Happily revealing that he didn’t bother to watch last week’s playoff excitement because he’d wound up plowing right through Emily In Paris’ second season, Manning chattered away like a real Emily-head. Asked about the will-he/won’t-he of former nemesis Tom Brady’s impending retirement, Manning could only defer to Emily’s struggles with the work/life balance for comparison, noting how Tom at least doesn’t have all those exes (sorry Xs) to worry about. (Do not get Manning started on Doug from Chicago.)
And then there are all Emily’s “lewks,”(“looks,” as Manning explained to a befuddled Jost) as the former footballer extolled star Lily Collins’ fashion choices, and cited the Netflix series for having “a fresh take on feminism—finally!” Manning’s own sketchy history in that area notwithstanding, the startlingly assured four-and-a-half minute performance was all cracker-jack timing and forward momentum. Almost enough to give SNL athletes a good name. Almost.
68 Comments
What did Jamie Naughright think of it?
Who cares?
Apparently we’re not talking about that…
“Especially that short where he just wails on a whole lot of little kids.”lol what? that skit is fucking hilarious
It’s a little overrated, but I’ll allow it.
It doesn’t quite reach the loftly heights of Joe Montana’s “Sincere Stu” sketch (which is the best SNL sketch featuring a professional athlete – an admittedly niche category), but it’s solid.
Well, there’s always someone who doesn’t get the joke.
I keep seeing ads on Facebook for a Joe Montana biography (maybe a series) on Peacock, but no one has confirmed to me yet whether it goes in-depth on “Sincere Stu.”
Is that the one where he goes upstairs to masturbate?
Yep.
I remember being somewhat shocked to hear the word “masturbate” said on national broadcast TV, even at such a late hour. The concept, however, I was very familiar with at that point in my life.
That is also one of the first sketches I think of, when I think of funny athlete sketches. I could not remember which host did that one, so thanks.
It took me a few tries to hack through that dense thicket of subordinate clauses, but I think Perkins is saying that Manning was okay for a jock host, and that sketch is an example of why.
This review is holding up that sketch as the best from Peyton’s 2007 hosting gig, and that gig as best of all athlete-hosted episodes.
Topped definitely by Jordan and at least in the same building as Barkley, but Manning’s in the top three, no doubt.
I mean, it’s no Waikiki Hockey, but yeah.
Now that I reread it, I can see that, but that sentence definitely lacks clarity.
Well, there’s always someone who doesn’t get the joke.
Perkins was actually attempting to praise that sketch, and Manning’s episode overall, but it was about as successful as Jimmy Garoppalo’s desperation heave late in the 4th quarter against the Rams tonight. Go Bengals
I love him having one of the kids getting a tattoo of his face on the kid’s leg, nodding approvingly “That’s forever”
The author is probably one of the United Way kids all growed up and mad he got hit in the head with a football. Manning has excellent comedic timing and delivery. Watch him explain what “Omaha” means.
People always seem amazed that Peyton Manning, a guy who’s played at a high level of performance since Pop Warner, might be a bit of an egotistical douchebag. He is. But he’s Jesus Christ himself compared to Tom Brady. Or his mouth-breathing dummy of a brother Eli.
Yeah, sorry, I’ll take the snake oil salesman over the guy who was straight up at the center of a sexual assault controversy.
Where does this article say Manning is egotistical, much less suggest amazement at such thing?
What article?
Who salmon?
I’ve worked with him a few times. He was always super cool to me and everyone else on set.
I saw your name and thought you meant Jonathan Frakes. Now I’m disappointed.
I saw YOUR name and was reminded to go take my medicine, so thanks.
What is matter?
Brain? What is brain?
Funny, I met him once in line at the grocery store his rookie year in Indianapolis, he lived near my apt complex. He was very nice. I know people who have had longer interactions with him, and said the same. I’m sure he has his moments, like we all do. Win two Super Bowls, you can have a bit of an ego.
#TeamCooper
Plus, ya know. A sexual assaulter.
Like, are we just all collectively forgetting that this guy sexually assaulted a trainer and then had daddy torpedo her career for him?Guess so.
“This show has everything….”1st indicator that Mulaney was in the building during writing week. This is a Stefon sketch opening.
Low bar to steal anything on this BORE of a show!
Surprising? Wut? Peyton Manning is pretty well known for being funny. Not just “funny for an athlete” either, but funny. It’s not surprising he slipped into this bit seamlessly. And his SNL hosting episode was a big hit at the time. It got talked about for a few days in social circles beyond just sports shows. He wasn’t like plenty of other hosts where you forget who hosted a day after you watch.
I think that part of his personality has become more apparent since his retirement.
I think with Manning it’s less his “personality” and more his “brand”. He’s definitely coming for Shaq’s “king of the advertising shill” crown.
I can’t wait foe manning to play a genie.
Underrated comment 😀
It was on display in Indianapolis. He would come to Colts Kick Off luncheons, I attended a couple, and he was very funny in the one on one interview. Once he had made a video featuring other players and himself, they had formed a grunge garage band. It was very funny.
His part on the roast of Rob Lowe was hilarious.
I’ve always wanted to know… does SNL somehow keep these surprise celeb appearances a secret from the studio audience, or are they just reacting to the applause sign?
Are those the only two options? Audiences don’t typically only applaud when the appearance is a surprise…
Its funny, Payton Manning’s appearances on SNL have always been one of my top hosts honestly. Consistently funny. The thing with the kids is great too. To each their own I guess. 🙂
I had to do a double take on that top pic, he looked a hell of a lot like Kevin Spacey.
Let’s just cut out the superfluous fat from this sentence. What is being said here?“Still, when scraping the bottom of SNL’s deep barrel for acceptable jock hosting gigs and appearances, Peyton Manning’s 2007 hosting stint is generally held up as the class of a draft.”
I sorta can’t believe that they didn’t take the occasion of David Ortiz being elected to the Hall of Fame to trot out Keenan’s Big Papi character. You coulda brought Manning in next week. I don’t know why, but Keenan’s Ortiz never fails to crack me up.
mofongo.
“arroz con bistec…mifongo…”cracks me up just writing it
It’s really the staccato “mofongo” that just kills me. Every damn time. But really, if he could just read a list of Caribbean foods for five minutes as David Ortiz and that would be fine by me.
Guas-a-ca-ca-con-que-so-fri-to!
Same here, and now there won’t be any new episodes for something like 3 weeks because of the Olympics.
I love that Payton Manning thot he was going to pop up in a choice comedy bit, and yet today, the big discussion is whether or not Tom Brady is retiring and not whether or not Payton Manning hired some great comedy writers. As a life long Pats fan, I’m so happy when Payton Manning gets smacked.
Interesting take, considering Tom Brady had one of the worst episodes of SNL hosted by an athlete. He wasn’t even remotely funny in any of his sketches, meanwhile Peyton had one of the best.
I like Brady on a gridiron more then I dislike Payton Manning. I agree, Brady’s SNL sucked ass. Many episodes in the last decade have.
Proud of the cheating, are you?
Tom Brady lost in the playoffs to Jake Plummer
Jake from State Farm?!?
.
Is he wearing that jacket ironically?
My wife’s hated SNL for years but she cracked up over this clip.
He seems genuinely hilarious on the “Alternative MNF” broadcasts with his brother and special guests.
His perfect delivery of “FINALLY!” was where my giggling truly began.
Deleted, because I originally read your confusing cluster of words as saying the opposite of what you intended.
I’m such a sports nerd that I got thrown off by the diagramming of the play, since offensive players are always the “O”s and the defenses are the “X”s. Peyton Manning has proven to be damned entertaining, from his SNL hosting gig, to his Peyton Place series on ESPN+, and with the Manning football broadcast. He was even the best part of that 2v2 pay-per-view golfing event with Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, and Tom Brady.